Wolf Pack Rally To Take Series Lead

press release

Wolf Pack take 3-2 lead in AHL Eastern Conference semifinals, Game 6 in Hartford Friday

HERSHEY, Pa. — Chris Mueller scored his second goal of the game shorthanded at 11:32 of overtime Wednesday night at Giant Center, to give the Hartford Wolf Pack a 5-4 win over the Hershey Bears and a 3-2 lead in the teams' best-of-seven, second-round playoff series.

The Wolf Pack will go for the knockout punch Friday night at the XL Center, in Game 6.

Mueller also tied with 3:24 left in the third period, and had an assist as well. Chris Bourque added a goal and two assists. Garrett Mitchell and Chandler Stephenson had a goal and an assist each for Hershey.

The Wolf Pack were hit with a too-many-men-on-the-ice bench minor at the 11:13 mark of overtime, but ended up getting the short-handed goal. Chad Nehring sent the puck into the Hershey zone and headed in to pressure, eventually working it to the front of the net to Mueller, who fired a shot into the top corner on the glove side of Bear goaltender Philipp Grubauer (37 saves).

The Wolf Pack got off to a fine start in the first period, drawing two penalties in the first 2:09 and scoring on a two-man advantage at 2:39. Danny Kristo got his first goal of the series, and second of the playoffs, on a shot from the middle of the blue line that went through a screen set by Carl Klingberg and past the stick side of Grubauer.

The Bears rebounded quickly from that, though, and would score three times later in the first.

Hershey tied the score 11 seconds into its first power play of the game at 7:21, with Joey Crabb off for tripping. Connor Carrick's shot from the blue line got by Wolf Pack goalie Yann Danis (34 saves), who was screened by Liam O'Brien.

Only 1:23 later, at 8:44, Stephenson scored his first professional playoff goal to give Hershey a 2-1 lead. Stephenson got by Tommy Hughes on the left wing, cut toward the net and slipped a back-hander underneath Danis' pads.

Mitchell made it a 3-1 Bear advantage at 13:16, with Hershey's third short-handed goal of the series. With Mike Moore in the box for hooking, the Wolf Pack failed to get the puck deep at the offensive blue line, and Steve Oleksy sent Mitchell away. Mitchell got behind Michael Kostka and beat Danis with a back-hander to the stick side.

The Wolf Pack got one back with the only goal of the second period, the first pro playoff tally for Conor Allen.

Hartford outshot the Bears 16-7 in the third period and twice came back to tie the game.

Bourque scored his fourth goal of the playoffs and third of the series at 12:09, making it 3-3. Bourque tracked down a loose puck in the slot and, as two Hershey defenders got in each other's way, rapped it through Grubauer.

Hershey grabbed the lead back just 1:18 later, with Liam O'Brien scoring his first of the series at 13:27. Moore put the puck to the middle from just off the left-wing boards, and O'Brien deflected it over Danis' catching glove.

The Wolf Pack drew even again at 16:36, as Kostka threw the puck at the net from the left-wing boards, and Mueller headed hard to the net and jammed the rebound past Grubauer.